Gilligan damned by evidence of colleagues (Lying BBC Bastard NAILED! MUST READ!)

Financial Times ^ | August 12, 2003 | Bob Sherwood

[Timesink]

Gilligan damned by evidence of colleagues

By Bob Sherwood, Legal Correspondent
Published: August 12 2003 20:55 | Last Updated: August 12 2003 20:55

Andrew Gilligan has long been under no illusion that he has critics. But when he appeared before Lord Hutton on Tuesday could not have expected to be damned, not by a practitioner of the Downing Street black arts, but by his BBC colleagues.

Initially the journalist appeared to be surviving the scrutiny. He mounted a calm defence of his reporting on the second day of the judicial inquiry into why David Kelly, the weapons expert, apparently committed suicide after being named as the source for Mr Gilligan's story that the government exaggerated its case for war with Iraq.

But as the hearing wore on, it became clear that he was becoming increasingly damned by the words of others on the corporation payroll. And as it did so his initially confident if muted response to questioning descended into a mumble.

Swamped by his sober blue suit after having lost weight since the affair erupted, Mr Gilligan began his four hours of evidence in a quiet, hesitant manner unlike his radio persona.

He had met David Kelly twice before the encounter at London's Charing Cross Hotel on May 22 that was to spark his report, which claimed Downing Street had "sexed up" its dossier on Iraq's military capability in the week before publication last September. He later indicated that came at the behest of Alastair Campbell, the prime minister's director of communications.

In particular, he alleged the government had inserted a claim that Saddam Hussein could deploy weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes against the wishes of intelligence officials and probably knowing it was inaccurate.

Mr Gilligan produced interview notes from the meeting, taken on his personal organiser, to back up his story. They read (including misspellings and abbreviations): "Transformed wk before pub to make it sexier.

"The classic was the 45 mins. Most things indossier were dbl sc but that was single-source. One source said it took 4[5] minutes to set up mobile assembly. That was misinterpreted.

"Most people in intel werent happy with it because it didn't reflect the considereview they were putting forward.

"Campbell."

Examined by James Dingemans QC, the inquiry's counsel, Mr Gilligan explained his questions to Mr Kelly about why the dossier was changed. "I said: 'To make it sexier?' He said: 'Yes, to make it sexier'."

Asked how it came to be transformed: "The answer was that one word [Campbell]."

To try to corroborate his story, Mr Gilligan contacted two "senior contacts in government" who neither confirmed nor denied it, although one suggested he should "keep digging".

He said he examined the language in the document and believed it showed clear signs of being "hardened". He also said the 45-minute claim had hardly been mentioned in parliament after the dossier was released, which seemed strange if it was so important.

But then things began to get harder for Mr Gilligan.

He admitted the words he used in his first broadcast on May 29, that the government "probably knew the 45-minute figure was wrong, even before it decided to put it in" were "not perfect".

Mr Dingemans said: "There is no doubt, is there, that part of the reason that the dispute between No 10 and the BBC became so heated was because of the perception of conscious wrongdoing?" Mr Gilligan said it was not a perception that he had intended to "come across as strongly as it did in that 6.07 two-way", and he did not use the same words in later broadcasts.

Then it got tougher still. The inquiry heard an e-mail written by Kevin Marsh, Today programme editor, to Stephen Mitchell, head of radio news at the BBC, on June 27 describing Mr Gilligan's story. It said: "Our biggest millstone has been his loose use of language and lack of judgment in his phraseology" and suggested Mr Gilligans's "distant" relationship with the programme, often working from home, should be more carefully controlled.

Next came a minute from a BBC governors' meeting on July 6, noting that Mr Gilligan had not always used "careful" language.

After the lunch break, Mr Gilligan disputed Mr Kelly's evidence to the parliamentary foreign affairs select committee and the intelligence and security committee about their meeting. The weapons expert denied bringing up the name of Mr Campbell and told them the words used by Mr Gilligan "did not sound like something I would say".

But Mr Gilligan insisted Mr Kelly knew what he intended to report because he checked the quotes with him.

The inquiry was also told of the "frosty" relationship between Mr Campbell and Mr Gilligan. Although the two have never met, Mr Campbell sent letters to the BBC complaining about Mr Gilligan's choice of words in a number of his reports during the Iraq war.

That, Mr Gilligan insisted, was why he did not name Mr Campbell in his Today reports, lest it seem like a personal attack. Only once The Guardian had named Mr Campbell, he said, he felt free to do the same in an article for the Mail on Sunday, which was approved in theory but not vetted by BBC managers.

The revelation from Susan Watts, science editor of Newsnight, that Mr Kelly mentioned Mr Campbell's name to her in connection with the 45-minute claim in the dossier appeared to establish the veracity of Mr Gilligan's story.

But despite considering Mr Kelly an authoritative source, she considered the remark to be "gossipy".

[Timesink]

Sometimes the wheel turns slowly, but it turns.

[Timesink]

Schadenfreude

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[Congressman Billybob]

I've already published an article that nails Gilligan, the BBC's reporter already exposed as lying about his whereabouts in "reporting" from Baghdad, that "the Americans are not at the airport." Another BBC reporter reported that the Americans WERE at the airport, but Gilligan was NOT there.

Can someone more computer adept than I make a link in this thread to my article, "Death by Typewriter," which was posted on FreeRepublic?

My conclusion is simple. This reporter, by his dishonesty, caused the weapons' expert's suicide.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "Nuts and Bolts in California" posted on FR, also published in San Francisco.

[GOP_1900AD]

I am utterly convinced that Gilligan fabricated the lion's share if not 100% of the story. I believe his notes to be a fraud, created in the comfort of his drawing room. The only question is, was Gilligan being driven by others and if so who were they? While I am not overly fond of Blair et al, overt undermining of a Western government using fraudulent material is warfare by other means. That would imply that Mr. Gilligan might have commited treason.

[dfwgator]

Did the Skipper turn him in?

[Lazamataz]

Gilligan damned by evidence of colleagues

Heck, the stuff the Skipper and the Professor had on him alone was enough to screw him.

[liberallarry]

The revelation from Susan Watts, science editor of Newsnight, that Mr Kelly mentioned Mr Campbell's name to her in connection with the 45-minute claim in the dossier appeared to establish the veracity of Mr Gilligan's story.

Ms. Watts does not support Mr. Gilligan. See her story in today's Guardian. I hesitate to speak autoritatively since every nuance is important - so read the article.

[baseballmom]

My conclusion is simple. This reporter, by his dishonesty, caused the weapons' expert's suicide.

If this man had a conscience he might feel bad about his actions. But, he obviously doesn't have a conscience, otherwise this never would have happened.

[Lazamataz]

Did the Skipper turn him in?

I hate you.

[river rat]

This bastard needs to lose more than a little weight...

Perhaps a few years of his life behind bars, receiving undivided and affectionate attention from "Sidney", would be appropriate.

Semper Fi

[dfwgator]

Snooze you lose. ;)

[BlessedByLiberty]

Thank you!

What I don't understand is that there is an implication here that the leading media in Britain would lie, fabricate or put forth an agenda against the war. How can that be? Isn't that akin to saying that mainstream American media also slants news stories to undermine support for American interests? (Early morning sarcasm before coffee.)

Is it also true that this isn't the first Gilligan article that has stirred this type of controversy? I daresay we are witnessing a man not only with an agenda but with what I call WBS:Woodward-Bernstein Syndrome. It seems journalism schools are spewing out "journalists" all looking for the moment they will be lauded by the Left as the new Woodward or Bernstein.

[azsportsterman]

Your post was after 9am and you haven't had coffee yet? I'm about to leave for lunch. You must work in a bank, or be a goverment employee.

[BlessedByLiberty]

LOL!

Nope, Mr. Blessed by Liberty promised a Machiotto (sp) and hasn't yet delivered it.

[Dirk McQuickly]

What's preplexing is why Mr. Kelly "committed suicide" instead of defending himself against these so-called "fabrications". I don't doubt that Gilligan fudged heavily, but I still don't understand why on earth this would drive the libeled party to suicide.

[Tamzee]

Charge the fella with libel, slander, etc... and cut funding from the BBC for allowing Gilligan to spout his garbage even though they KNEW he was doing it.

[.cnI redruM]

Lord Hawhaw on BBC - shocking!

[Cyber Liberty]

There's no article "Death by Typewriter" in the news/activism archives. Does it have another title or on another forum? I'll link it if I can find it.

[gcruse]

"Congressman Billybob: Death by Typewriter"

[GOP_1900AD]

Indeed, from my own investigation of this case, I am increasingly of a belief that Mr. Kelly was neither suicidal at the time, nor, in any way a man who would ever accept suicide as morally acceptable. Other notable items: EKG pads were still attached to his chest, he had been in a safe house but left because he valued spending time with his family in Oxfordshire more than he worried about being in harm's way, and, he was well hated by the Iraqi intelligence agencies and no doubt by their brethren in such far flung places as Pakistan, Russia and the PRC.